|
|
"A comprehensive, collaborative elections resource."
|
New Zealand Green party leader resigns after revealing she lied to claim benefits
|
|---|
| Parent(s) |
Candidate
|
| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Aug 11, 2017 10:30pm |
| Logged |
0
|
| Category | News |
| Author | Eleanor Ainge Roy |
| News Date | Wednesday, August 9, 2017 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The co-leader of the New Zealand Green party Metiria Turei has resigned citing “unbearable” pressure after she revealed that she had lied to claim more benefits as a single mother more than twenty years ago.
Last month Turei admitted to the New Zealand public that she had lied to a government social welfare agency as a 23-year-old single mother in order to “survive”.
She told Work and Income that she was living alone with her daughter, when in fact she had taken in flatmates to subsidise the cost of her rent.
The revelation was met with shock across the political spectrum, and in the weeks since Turei has faced intense personal and political pressure to resign from parliament, with her critics calling her a “criminal” and saying she is unfit for public office.
In emotional scenes outside parliament Turei resigned, saying her continued co-leadership of New Zealand’s third largest political party was “an impediment” to the Greens gaining votes in New Zealand’s upcoming election, which is less than two months away.
“Resigning as co-leader is my decision,” said Turei.
“The party did not ask me to resign and as recently as last night the executive gave me a vote of confidence.”
Turei said the intense public and personal attacks had become “unbearable” for her family, and the continued scrutiny was distracting attention away from election issues, namely the environment, poverty, and climate change. |
| Share |
|
|
2¢
|
|
| Article | Read Full Article |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
|
